


To Be A Smythe

by SRapp



Category: A mother’s nightmare, Glee, The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Dalton Academy, F/M, M/M, Pre-Flash, Sebastian Smythe is Barry Allen | The Flash, The Warblers - Freeform, Warbler Barry Allen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-11
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-05-05 06:59:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14612202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SRapp/pseuds/SRapp
Summary: I am literally in awe of both characters and the actor who played them so how else do I show it, I write a fanfic and have the character suffer a bit.Story does contain bullying, assault, drugs, alcohol, sexual assault, nothing graphic, I ain't about that life. It contain self harm, mentions of suicide. It does contain some homophobic language which I would never condone in a real life setting, it is only used as a plot device.The chapters are a bit short at first but get longer further into the book.I think that is everything, besides that the first chapter will be up soon, enjoy.Ps. I don’t know how to post pictures from my own phone that aren’t on the internet so if anyone knows I would love to share the cover I designed for Wattpad





	1. Goodbye Barry Allen

**Author's Note:**

> I am literally in awe of both characters and the actor who played them so how else do I show it, I write a fanfic and have the character suffer a bit.
> 
> Story does contain bullying, assault, drugs, alcohol, sexual assault, nothing graphic, I ain't about that life. It contain self harm, mentions of suicide. It does contain some homophobic language which I would never condone in a real life setting, it is only used as a plot device.
> 
> The chapters are a bit short at first but get longer further into the book.
> 
> I think that is everything, besides that the first chapter will be up soon, enjoy.
> 
> Ps. I don’t know how to post pictures from my own phone that aren’t on the internet so if anyone knows I would love to share the cover I designed for Wattpad

When you are sixteen years old, you have secrets, and it was no different for a young man named Barry Allen. Though his weren't that he had been drinking or smoking pot. He was constantly running, from bullies that is. In particular Tony Woodward came to mind when Barry thought of his bullies. Barry was clumsy so it was easy to pass of bruises as falling over or into things or into people. But when he came home from school at the end of his tenth grade year and had a broken wrist and black eye Joe stopped believing his excuses. 

Barry had fessed up that someone had bullied him, but refused to give a name. He had dealt with it for five years he could handle two more. But Joe disagreed and so did Iris. Though Iris just suggested he was homeschooled or switch schools to one of Central Cities other high schools, but Joe had let his mind be swayed by none other than Alan Smythe, Barry's uncle on his mothers side, he said he could take him in for two years and he could go to Dalton, a high school that was in the town of Westerville that offers a safe environment free of bullies and torment.

Joe was iffy, knowing things were tense with the Allens and Smythes since Nora's death, but Alan had persuaded the Detective and it was then at the beginning of July that Joe sent Barry to Westerville. The foster siblings had fought Joe on this profusely, not accepting that they wouldn't see each other. But Barry eventually, gave knowing he could argue with Joe and Alan, but when he went and talked with his dad even he told him to go, change his name, change his look anything to keep people from bullying him again.

Barry had boarded the plane by himself, Joe and Iris weren't coming to Ohio with him, they had to stay, his uncle was to meet him at the airport. Barry was a lanky kid, his hair was a good length but he never styled it so it remained hanging around his ears and on his forehead. He never went outside preferring the solitude of the science class, he therefore was very pale, making his freckles to pop out more than they should. 

His clothes were plain and drab. He wore a red sweatshirt and plain blue jeans, his sneakers were also red but worn in so much they could be mistaken for brown or grey. He looked out of place as he boarded the plane, seeing as it was his first time on one. The stewardess took his ticket and pointed his direction to the middle row halfway down the plane. He gave a quiet thank you before moving down the aisle way past all the people, until he was by his seat, he then threw his backpack into the bag compartment. He took his seat and slumped down, wishing for the next two years to hurry up and be over with.

The plane ride was quick, the journey to Ohio from Missouri was short, making him glad, he didn't know how to feel about planes. Just as quick as he had got on and how quick the flight went by he was out of the plane and walking to baggage claim. He had grabbed his one bag that had two weeks worth of clothes, while his backpack held all of his smaller items like books, headphones among other things. He didn't care to have an extensive wardrobe for school, he just wanted to keep his head down. But that clearly not going to happen when he was greeted by Richard, his uncles very own Alfred.

He stood there polished and cleaned, many people stared at him as the lanky, much underdressed teenager moved forwards with his head down slightly. He could even see a group of boys all in matching uniforms staring at the odd duo. He had known Richard for a long time but he hadn't seen him since before his mother died, so they were quick to embrace each other. He walked with his arm around the shorter mans shoulder, Richards arm had hooked around his back and the two made their way towards the sleek black car that awaited the two men. 

The group of boys watched the tall boy go into the car, sitting in the passenger seat, all curious why the state attorneys car was being used to pick up the kid. They couldn't even see his face but they could tell he wasn't the average male specimen. So it was much to their disappointment that the car drove away from the airport they could see his face. 

Barry had remained silent as he picked at his pants which had torn at the knee. Richard stared at the boy from his spot in the drivers seat, he had changed since the last he saw the boy, he was more quiet and reserved, less rambunctious. Though it made sense considering everything he'd been through. 

After a half an hour drive they pulled up to a large house that was at least the size of three of the West's household. Barry stared up at the white trim walls and tall doors, silently amazed by the house in front of him. Richard jumped out of the car and ran to the boot to grab Barry's case, and was surprised by how light it was. Barry got out much slower, not caring to rush inside his uncles house. The welcome had been scarce, only his cousin Shelley had come to see him when he walked through the door.

Uncle Alan had been in his study, finishing work up for the day before he spoke to Barry at dinner time. Barry hadn't made an effort to look any better, knowing that his wardrobe didn't get much better past what he had on. The only difference is now he was more lively after he took a shower. He had sat down across from Alan and to the left of Shelley, remaining quiet throughout their long dinner, that was until they finished and Young Shelley had been dismissed leaving the sixteen year old to a conversation with Alan.

"So, what sports do you play?" His uncle asked making Barry hold back a chuckle. 

"Oh, I don't play any sports." Barry informed him, now picking at his nails.

"You should you've got the size." Alan said. "You, Shelley and I will be heading to Paris for the summer, in four days. It's the only time she can see her mother. You best not even unpack." Barry was taken aback by the news, surprised to hear he would be leaving again so soon. "And then when we get back you will get your clothes for school. But before that we must discuss your name." Barry frowned, he'd been expecting this moment, he loved his dad too much to change it, but they would force him to do it. "Obviously the last name, Smythe, but what about your first name?"

"Can't I keep it as Barry if we change my last name?" He asked and saw his uncle grow annoyed.

"We are trying to get you to not be associated with your father." Alan snapped. "So you can either pick your name or I will." Barry frowned and nodded, he would let Alan choose, he couldn't think of a name he would want more than the one his dad gave him. Alan excused Barry but told him to come downstairs in an hour to talk some more. Barry had gone upstairs and sat on his bed that was much too big for himself and thought about how this was such a bad idea.

At nine pm Barry had walked down the stairs, his shoulders slumped and his hair hanging in his face. As he walked into the library he didn't expect to be lightly smacked on his back with what could've been a pool cue. This made him arch his back and immediately he grew a few inches as he stumbled forwards. "You need to stop slouching." Alan's voice rang out. "I told Joe I would help you and I will, but first you need to play the part, Smythe men don't slouch for one." 

Barry stared at him in shock, this was different than he'd expect. Before he could respond he got hit in the stomach with the cue. He straightened up even more, not sure how this would help him. His uncle stared at the cast on his nephews arm and the black eye he was sporting. He had been quick to point out that it didn't matter that his father was a murderer, it was that Barry did not Emanate confidence and it made him a target. Barry had grown frustrated, but Alan quickly told him not to let people see his frustration. He had considered pretending to salute his uncle, as of addressing a general, but he resisted the urge thinking it would get him in trouble. And it did often in the next four days, though Alan commended him for quote 'growing a backbone' unquote.


	2. Paris

Barry had officially changed his name, Alan got annoyed when he wouldn't choose and began calling him Sebastian. Barry had asked why they had to call him that when at home, but he was told it was a response thing, so he wouldn't slip up when he went to school. So Barry Allen no longer existed, he was now Sebastian Smythe, son of Alan Smythe, brother to Shelley Symthe. Loving Son, avid athlete, scholar in the fields of chemistry and physics, a bit of an exaggeration, but he was expected to keep his grades up in all of his classes and beyond expectations.

They flew first class to Paris, Sebastian was excited about that, seeing as this was going to be one of the few times in his life he had the opportunity. He had been polite to the staff, saying please and thank you when given something, not being to much of a pain on the ladies working. His father however was a massive pain, he was rude and demanding and said to Sebastian 'If you don't want to look the part of a Smythe, you must play it even better than before' referring to one night when he tried to drill it in Sebastian's head that Smythe's were just better than everyone.

His time in Paris was educational, he learnt how to speak French, and he found it easy to pick up on since he had taken it in school. He wouldn't consider himself fluent but he had become well versed in the language. Though he spent time with a translator learning it he learnt much more from friends he made in Paris. He had gone to get a coffee and fully intended take advantage of the legal drinking age in France. 

His friends, Jasper and Anna were dating each other and quickly brought Sebastian into their friend group. They found the way he drank liquor in his coffee extremely funny, asking if all Americans were like that. They had also attributed to his coming out of his shell, he was no longer intimidated by meeting new people after them. What came to a surprise to him was when he met their friend, Lawrence and he greeted the tall boy by planting his lips on his. They'd all laughed at his expression as he pulled away, shocked. Not only had he been surprised by him doing that, but also by the fact that he liked it.

He and his new father spent much of their time outside or in a gymnasium, trying to figure out a sport Barry could play. He had found himself on the ground many times. Tripping over soccer balls, fumbling footballs, slipping in the ice rink. It took so many tries but halfway through their trip they had discovered his affinity for Lacrosse. His clumsiness slipped away when he played, easily avoiding players and tackles. Scoring goals with every shot he took.

Alan then after that made him practice at least four hours a day, saying he had to make the team at Dalton, which Sebastian still knew nothing about. He had asked but Alan said he would explain everything when they got back to the states. The only time he had to himself was the few hours a day when he went out with his friends. They hadn't made him a terrible person, but Sebastian found himself looking down on people more and he got cocky and sarcastic very quickly. His snarky comments made his friends wish to throttle him sometimes but they mostly found them funny. Alan liked his friends, except for Lawrence that is, but he was a homophobic man, saying Sebastian shouldn't be seen with someone who likes men. Little to his knowledge, Sebastian had met up with just Lawrence on multiple occasions, though it was strictly PG. Alan would never get to know about that though.

Sebastian thought back to Iris, the one he truly loved. But his mind only told him, Barry loved her, Sebastian is a different person. Besides what person dates the person who is basically their brother. This made Sebastian think of thing differently, 'love is for adults' he thought, 'until I'm one, I might as well have some fun.' This lead to many excursions with Lawrence until they said goodbye.

Shelley had the time of her life in France, she had spent time with her mother but had also gotten to know Sebastian more, he fit right in as her brother. He cared for her more than anyone else, subjecting himself to many Tea parties and taking her to the park almost every day, where she would play and he would practice Lacrosse.

Shelley's mother however was not a fan of Sebastian, called him a spawn of a murderer, constantly cursing at him. She demanded he call her ma'am, saying that while he called Alan, father, he wouldn't have that right to call her mother, for he was Barry in her mind, and for all her concern, Barry would end up just like Henry. He spent most of time away from her, only seeing her at the silent dinners, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. It was already awkward enough considering Alan and Lorraine were divorced and only saw each other when he took Shelley to visit.

One his fourth night in Paris he had gotten a Skype call from Iris who demanded to know how he was. He chuckled at her and walked over to his window. "Guess where I am." He told her and pointed the laptop outside where the Eiffel Tower could be seen in the distance.

"No way!" She shouted as he turned it back to himself, exchanging the city of lights for the image of a bed headed Barry who hadn't shaven since before he left for Ohio and had begun to get a five o'clock shadow. "How are things? Excited for the new school?"

"I'm good, they're good, we're good. And I guess I'm excited, I just wish I had my best friend there with me." He told her as he flopped on the bed, dropping the computer onto a pillow. They sat there chatting for another two hours before Alan walked in, telling him to go to sleep seeing as it was one in the morning. "Bye Iris." He smiled giddily.

"Bye Barry." She smiled back, not knowing about his name change. He closed the laptop and placed it on his end table before tucking himself into the sheets, aware that Alan was still in the room.

Alan walked over and pulled the covers over Sebastian, patting his arm once they were over his chest. "I'm sorry about Lorraine. She has a temper, she doesn't like us Smythe men, I know you are an Allen, but you're my nephew, that makes you a Smythe." Alan told Sebastian making him smile. The two men bid each other goodnight and fell asleep in their respective beds. Sebastian wasn't the biggest fan of his new father, but he cared for him, and Sebastian was cared about by him. It wasn't hard to tell he had changed since the beginning of the summer, going from a shy and innocent boy to a confident and strong man. His cast came off a few days before school and he was ordered by the doctor to wear a tenser bandage for a few weeks until he was fully healed.

The trip lasted until the week before school started. Sebastian had switched up his wardrobe by now too, opting for button up shirts and jeans. He had left his hair to be messy the entire trip, he liked the messy look, and Lawrence did too. He claimed 'messy never looked sexier', that had made Sebastian laugh as well as Jasper and Anna. He was sad when they departed from the country. He made them a promise to call them from Ohio, and keep them updated on him and they would update him on them.


	3. Not What You Think

 

"Father!" Sebastian exclaimed as he walked into the kitchen the second morning after they had gotten back from France. "So tell me about this school I'm going to."

Alan's mouth formed an O as he remembered what he had to do that day. "Yes that reminds me, school is in a few days we need to get some things." He said and dropped the morning paper on the breakfast bar, hopping to his feet. "I'll tell you as we go." Sebastian shrugged and followed after his father as he walked towards the door, gesturing for Richard to join them from his spot by the door. Richard tended the house while they were away for a month and a half, he had been surprised to see that Sebastian had returned with more livelihood in him than when he came.

Richard held the back door open for them as they neared the car. Sebastian gave him a quiet thanks as he climbed in after Alan. The car ride was quiet for the most part. That was until they reached the school supplies store. "I went there when I was your age. It is the finest school in the state, opens doors to many Ivy League colleges. It's got all levels of courses, which we must also discuss. What level of courses were you taking at your last school?" Alan explained and questioned at the same time.

"I was in advanced placement." Sebastian smiled, making Alan nod appreciatively. They walked between isles grabbing binders and other items he would need. They were in and out within ten minutes, not dallying for a moment.

The place that daunted Sebastian was when they arrived at the hair dressers. He gingerly patted his hair down as they exited, it had been flying everywhere and he knew Alan wouldn't have it like that. "Jules." Alan called as they entered the small shop. "Take care of my son, he's going to Dalton this year." He commanded a woman who was cleaning up the hair on the ground. The woman came over and took hold of Sebastian's arm and guided him to a chair. He frowned as she began shopping off the long fringe that had formed. "After this we are going to get you clothes."

"I already have clothes." Sebastian said while staring at his father in the mirror.

"Dalton has a uniform policy. We are heading to the clothes after this." Alan informed Sebastian, making him cringe slightly.

"You don't have to do that, I can go to a public school, this is too much to ask of you." He offered but the look on his fathers face told him that he wasn't changing his mind. He proceeded to close his mouth and watch as the woman moved in front of him and started combing his hair out of his face. He could see much more now for sure. She had fixed his hair for sure, making it neat and pristine. It had been slicked to the side making him look well groomed as well. When she had moved away from his face and turned him to his father, Alan shrugged and Sebastian immediately assumed he looked bad, so he quickly leapt to his feet and turned to the mirror to see he actually looked rather nice, well that was his opinion.

The two exited after paying the woman, who seemed proud of her work. The two had gone for lunch where they had discussed what Sebastian's ambitions were. He new how hard it was to get into forensic programs, though Alan didn't connect the dots that he only wanted to be one so that he could free his real dad, if it wasn't for that he didn't know what he would be doing. Maybe he would be a doctor like his dad, maybe he would still want to be a CSI.

The two had gone and walked into a tailor which had a sign on the front for Dalton uniforms. Sebastian didn't know how to feel about uniforms, he liked being able to show up in sweatpants to things, but he also thought it would be useful so that he wouldn't obsess over clothes. Another woman along with a man had guided him to a podium where they took his measurements and went to go find some clothes for him. He couldn't see them but a group of boys also from Dalton were watching from outside, staring at his back as he spoke with his father who grabbing shoes from a shelf that would fit him.

The two waited as the man came upfront and escorted Sebastian into the back to change. He looked at it neatly folded up in front of him and shrugged, as he closed to curtain to the changing area. He was quick to disrobe of his own clothes and put on the pants, shirt and blazer when he saw the tie that was with it. It was an interesting uniform, he gave them that, most he had seen in the past were a shirt and pants. He picked the tie up and wrapped it around his neck, struggling for a second but managed to tie a knot.

He huffed and pushed back the curtain and walked back to his father, staring down as he buttoned the jacket up. When near the front of the store he turned to look in the mirror and was surprised at how different he looked than when he normally did. Alan smirked at his expression and clapped his hand on his shoulder. "Looking sharp, you'll have all the ladies of Crawford on your tail. Let's get these pants hemmed, and get a few more pairs of everything."

"Wait Crawford?" Sebastian asked as he turned slightly in the mirror to look at himself from another angle.

"Yes it's the sister boarding school to Dalton." Alan said which made Sebastian move towards him, stepping off the podium and tripping the male worker, not that he noticed the man fall. The lessons his father taught him had begun to sink in.

"Boarding School. So you offer to take me in just to send me off to a Boarding school." Sebastian snipped. "Wow great parenting, mom would be so proud." He said and they both knew he meant Nora and not Loraine.

Alan sighed and put his hands on Sebastian's shoulders, before bringing his grip down to his wrists, which would look like a comfort from afar, but Sebastian still had a tenser bandage on his wrist that was still healing and Alan began to squeeze onto it. He tried to keep his face blank but he began to show his discomfort. "Don't whine, boy. I took you in and you were soft, that cop made you soft. I have already made you better and Dalton is the best school in the state, so quit complaining so we can leave." Sebastian stared down at the man and flinched in pain before nodded, effectively making him let go.

Sebastian remained silent the rest of the day, accepting whatever his uncle gave him, not wanting a repeat of earlier. They had left the store with four pairs of pants, two blazers, three shirts, two of the ties and two pairs of shoes. The boys who wanted to see who he was had left after he climbed into the car of Alan's with his the good of his jacket up. Sebastian made a vow to rarely see his uncle, only if he needed to, though his uncle had different plans. His uncle instructed him to come home every weekend so they could talk, or rather Alan would talk and Sebastian would listen. Though he had excuses lined up for weekends to come as to why he couldn't come home.


	4. Dalton Academy

Sebastian stood in front of the school with trepidation in his bones. The last school he was at he ended up with a broken wrist. Though he seemed to have no choice as Alan grabbed him by the shoulder and ushered him inside and directly to the office. Sebastian had a duffle bag with him and his black backpack which were both filled with clothes and books. Alan walked up to the secretary and pointed his finger at one of the chairs telling Sebastian to sit.

He dropped his bags on the other chair and sat down, pulling his phone out and relaxing as the two adults spoke. He had been texting Iris, who was also getting ready for school. Though Sebastian didn't start till the next day because the students were all getting settled in. He was excited to meet new people but he figured he would still be that nerdy kid at this school too. "Mr Smythe, we don't seem to your sons records for any school here."

"Oh yes you see he lived in Paris with his mother for many years and the system is very different here, can I possibly get them to you by the end of the month?" Alan slyly asked but Sebastian knew that meant he would get fake documents. Alas the woman bought his story and brought some packages up for him. Sebastian got up and walked over as she explained rooms, curfew, selecting courses, etc. 

He and Alan had sent in a time table request with his courses a week prior try and get the ones he needed. She seemed to catch up on this when she found it sitting with a pile of things left for one Mr. Smythe. He had gotten into all of his science courses and Mathematics courses as well as an English course which made him happy. He had been placed in all AP courses which was nice, he did hope he would succeed because Private Schools tended to have high standards of curriculum. He and Alan exchanged glances as the secretary called a student to the office to show Sebastian around while Alan filled in necessary paperwork. "Will I be able to spend Christmas and the summer holidays with Joe and Iris?" He asked Alan who nodded his head slightly.

"Only if you spend a week with me during the Christmas break and two weeks at the end of the summer, I can't give you up the entire time can I." Alan chuckled just as the door opened to reveal a teen about Sebastian's age who had a sly smirk on his face. He had spotted the boy with Alan a few times and was finally going to see who he was.

"There you are Thaddeus, I am putting you in charge of showing Mr. Smythe around and to his room, he is your new roommate." The secretary told him, making the 6'2 boy turn around to stare at the teen who was staring at him. Sebastian looked slightly down at the teen before pulling his hand from his pants pocket and holding it out for the teen to shake.

"Sebastian." He smiled broadly as the teen grasped his own hand.

"Thad." The teen stared up at him, his mind already scanning every inch of the sixteen year old. "Finally I meet the son of Mr. Smythe, shall I show you around." He asked and Sebastian gave a slight nod. He picked up his backpack and duffle, giving a curt nod to Alan who shooed him off.  The two men walked out of the office and through the halls of the school. None of the boys had their uniforms on which was to be expected, they were all waving goodbye to parents and being smothered in hugs.

"So is there ever like dress down days?" Sebastian asked, hoping some days he just go to class in a T-shirt and jeans. Thad nodded and guided him away from the classroom building and down a long hallway that joined the dormitory to the rest of the school.

"So Sebastian Smythe, what are your interests?" Thad asked curious to see if he found a new Warbler.

"Lacrosse, I guess." Sebastian said not wanting to divulge how nerdy he truly was at this point in their friendship, if that's what this would be."

"You ever sing?" Thad asked as they passed people who were dragging bags into their rooms.

"Does in the shower count?" Sebastian asked making Thad laugh. "No I really don't, to be honest." Thad nodded, shrugging in response to his earlier thoughts. The two of them stopped in front of a door which Sebastian presumed to be their room. Thad pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked it, swinging it open in a grand manor. "Home sweet home." Sebastian smiled and walked in behind Thad who flopped onto the bed on the right hand side of the room. Sebastian dropped his bags at the foot of He other bed and walked over to the window that had a view of the front of Dalton.

He and Thad had gotten to know each other while in the room. They had spent time putting up some things on their boards that hung on the wall so that it wouldn't seem so dull as well as putting their clothes into the two small closets that were adjacent each other. The tour of the school had been quick, he had shown him where each classroom was as well as many other places. They had passed a room where a group of boys were chatting, obviously catching up. When Sebastian asked what was in there Thad had just said that it didn't matter because he doesn't sing, he replied with an ever intelligent 'Oh'.

He could see groups of boys roaming the man foyer as they stared at the signs that had been set up for sports and clubs to get people interested. He had walked among them as Thad went and talked to some who were not really paying attention to passing students. Sebastian walked over to the Lacrosse table and wrote his name down for tryouts. They smiled and he gave a smile back. He glanced around, watching as people milled about before making his way over to Thad.

"Hey. Guys this is Sebastian, my new roommate." Thad told them and quickly stated, "he doesn't sing." The two shrugged but shook his hand anyways. Sebastian furrowed his eyebrows, wondering why this kept coming up. They introduced themselves as Nick and Jeff and soon they were quick friends. The four of them chatted for half an hour, getting to know interests. They had told Sebastian they were part of a show choir called the Warblers and that's why they set up a booth at the activity fair. Sebastian abandoned any attempt to talk to other groups because he found his friends among these so called Warblers.

He was leaning against the table with his arms crossed as he laughed at what the guys were saying to him. Though it went dead silent between the other three while Sebastian laughed. He frowned and turned, surprised to see his uncle behind him. "Oh hi," he paused to catch himself, "dad."

"And who are these boys with you?" Alan asked.

"This is Thad, Jeff and Nick. They are all part of a singing club or whatever here." Sebastian said as-a-matter-of-fact tone.

"One you won't be joining?" Alan asked though it was more of a command to his nephew. Sebastian just nodded and muttered about not singing. The last time he sang was with his mother, they had been watching the sound of music. The two of them always shared a love of musicals and when she died he didn't watch them as much, only when he was really down, but he had grown so much he probably didn't sound like he used to anyways.

Alan wrapped his arm around Sebastian's shoulder and lead him away from the booth where the boys watched. "You be careful around those boys. We have a clear plan, you study your ass off, and join the lacrosse team, either way you want a scholarship to a college of your choice. And 'show choirs' are something you do if you have no future. Like Henry." Sebastian whipped his head to him, offended by his comment. "Oh don't get upset, even if he is innocent like you think he would never be welcomed back into a hospital staff, he spent 5 years in jail already, lord knows how many more he will before he bites the dust."

Sebastian was fuming, "at least when he bites he dust he will have a clear conscious, when your old and farting saw dust I will know that you were a shitty person." Sebastian snapped under his breath, though Alan couldn't hear him, he was to preoccupied on telling the boy how to act and not to embarrass the family name.

"I shall see you soon, don't worry about this weekend, you get settled and come see me next week." Alan said and walked away from him, leaving him standing in the hall of Dalton, alone.


	5. Warblers

Sebastian had spent the first three weeks of school on the Lacrosse pitch, earning a reputation as one of the best players. He spent every night reading textbooks and reports that were on anything and everything, his mind was like a steel trap, he just sucked up information. It was one Tuesday night that he was looking to do something else and took out his laptop, plugged in his headphones and turned on Singin' in the Rain. It had been his favorite musical to watch with his mom.

The lights were turned off and eventually fell asleep with it on his blanket covered lap. His headphones were asked on his face as he leant against the wall, head tilted up with a wide open mouth. He didn't even wake up when Thad, Jeff and Nick bounced through the door laughing after they got back from practice. They immediately were silent when they heard the light snores of Sebastian Smythe. Thad tiptoed towards the bed and pulled the laptop and headphones away. He clicked pause and smirked when he saw what his non singing, non dancing, not even humming roommate was watching. He glanced at the case that had the handwriting of Nora Allen, spotting the words Happy 10th Birthday, mom. Thad closed the laptop and placed it along with the headphones on Sebastian's desk.

While over there Thad spotted his pile of textbooks and saw many that were not read at a high school level, some on crime, others on chemistry, others on physics, some on random things like cars. "Dude, now I know why he is in none of our classes." Thad whispered and held up Sebastian's Biochemistry textbook which was something given to college students. The three boys walked out, leaving Sebastian in the bed asleep. "I think I'm gonna invite him to Warbler practice tomorrow." Thad told his friends. They both let out a quick 'Why?' To be responded to with a dull look. "He doesn't do much, just Lacrosse and study, that and whatever he does with his Dad on the weekends."

Each boy nodded and went back to their own rooms, leaving Thad to sleeping beauty. In the morning Sebastian had dressed in his uniform and went to his classes as per usual, though that day he had no Lacrosse practice until later that night. His chemistry teacher had been blown away by his knowledge and started giving him even harder work. He even gave him his old college textbooks from his days in school. Sebastian had been extremely grateful and continued to flourish in all of his courses.

He walked out of his last class and made a Beeline for his room where he dropped off his books onto his desk and was about to start studying when the door burst open. He whipped his head around to see Thad standing there blocking the door. "Come on, you're coming with me."

"What? Where?" Sebastian asked as Thad marched over to him and pulled him from the room and into the hall. He frowned as Thad locked their bedroom door and pulled him from the dormitory and back into the school. They stopped before they reached any classroom, the room they went into seemed to be some type of common room. Inside there was a large group of boys all chatting as others came through the door.

"Hey who's this?" A boy asked, probably about Sebastian's age. "Can he sing?"

Sebastian just chuckled, noticing this was a recurring question in this school. "No he doesn't, he doesn't even know what's going on." He formally held his hand out which was taken by the broader male. "Sebastian Smythe."

"Trent." The male stated and grasped the tall boys hand. Sebastian walked over to a couch and leaned against it as the guys all started talking. Many were talking about some kid called Blaine. When Sebastian asked who they were talking about they all presumed to gush about the former Warbler who had gone to McKinley which was about an hour away. They talked for about twenty minutes before Nick started making a beat with his lips causing many to join in. Sebastian was blown away by how they sounded, all in sync and well tuned.

He himself knew the song and smiled as they all began to dance, before starting to belt out the lyrics to Uptown Girl by Billy Joel. After a moment he sung along in the background of the chorus, smiling broadly while doing so.

" _Uptown girl_  
She's been living in her white bread world  
As long as anyone with hot blood can  
And now she's looking for a downtown man  
That's what I am" Nick sand in harmony with everyone else, though Sebastian's eye had been turned to that of a boy, about sixteen, standing by the door, smiling as he watched the Warblers sing.

" _And when she knows what_  
She wants from her ti-i-i-me  
And when she wakes up  
And makes up her mi-i-i-n-d" Nick continued to sing and when he made no attempt to continue the verse, while gathered in a huddle with his friends away from Sebastian, Sebastian moved towards the boy with a grin making his way across his face.

" _She'll see I'm not so tough_ " Sebastian surprised himself as he sang. The rest of the Warblers turned in shock and cheered at the voice of the one who claimed to be unable to sing. Sebastian didn't notice the looks as he grabbed the boys arm and pulled him over to the lineup of Warblers who were all cheering him on as he got the boy to sing with them. " _Just because I'm in love with an Uptown Girl_ "

The rest all joined back in as Nick carried don singing.

" _You know I can't afford to buy her pearls  
But maybe someday when my ship comes in  
She'll understand what kind of guy I've been  
And then I'll win_" the boys noticed a teacher, a French teacher who had tried to make them quiet down and immediately flooded he hallway, to serenade the woman.  
" _And when she's walking_  
She's looking so fi-i-i-ne"

Sebastian stepped out of the line they formed along the wall, away from Jeff and the mystery boy, and moved around the woman while singing.

" _And when she's talking  
She'll say that she's mi-i-i-ne_" he sung in a flirtatious manner. The woman smiled as he smirked while shuffling along with the line while still moving around her. Thad then jumped in and sang out a line.

" _She'll say I'm not so tough_  
Just because  
I'm in love with an Uptown Girl"

The teacher smiled giddily at the attention but pushed and shooed them back into the room. Sebastian could hear them singing as he went back into the room, helping form the semi-circle that the boys had made. Once everyone was back inside he made his move into the middle and spun around on the ball of his foot before falling to the floor purposefully and jumping back up using his arms to flip onto his feet. He harmonized along as another boy did a flip and then another did the robot. They all reformed the line and then finished their song.

" _Uptown girl_  
She's my uptown girl (Don't you know I'm in love)  
With an uptown girl

_My uptown girl (Don't you know I'm in love)"_

Nick stepped forwards as everyone stood at attention and delivered the final line. " _With an Uptown (Girl)_ "

They were greeted with enthused applause from the boy in the grey outfit and slicked hair. Sebastian just blushed slightly, feeling silly for joining in. Suddenly there was a few pairs of hands on his, pushing him slightly, ruffling his hair and patting him. "And this one said he couldn't sing or dance." Jeff exclaimed and the Warblers laughed loudly. "Now there is is no chance he is getting rid of us, you're stuck on the team."

Sebastian just chuckled and fixed his hair as the group split up and he was left with the shorter boy, Thad, Trent, Jeff and Nick. "You guys killed it, as always!" He exclaimed and by the way the others blushed he made the assumption that this was the famous Blaine Anderson.

Trent looked at Blaine pleadingly, his words were also in plea, "We'd sound so much better with you back in the mix. Is this your triumphant return to Dalton? Please?"

Sebastian snorted under his breath and smirked. Blaine just sighed and looked at his friend. "Actually, I'm here to invite you guys to my opening night at McKinley. West Side Story! I reserved a whole block of tickets just for the Warblers, it'd mean the world to me if you guys could come."

The guys all nodded as Sebastian stared at Blaine. He smirked and let his answer be known "We'll be there. Once a Warbler, always a Warbler, right?" The guys agreed with him and walked off leaving the two to get acquainted. "Blaine Anderson."

"Sebastian Smythe." His smirk grew bigger as he eyed up the boy who turned pink under his gaze.

"Are you a freshman?" Blaine asked him.

In a dry tone he responded to Blaine, "do I look like a freshman?"


	6. Coffee and Calls

Sebastian had convinced Blaine to go with him to get a coffee at the Dalton Cafe, eager to get to know the cute boy. "So you transferred here this year? How come?"

"Well," he began as they sat down, coffee in hand. "Dalton is the best school around right." Blaine nodded, missing his Dalton days, though he was happy where he was. McKinley was a great school. Sebastian looked him up and down smiling with a tight lip. "So you're a bit of a legend around Dalton." Blaine began to protest, but Sebastian was faster. "Don't be modest. I was like, I don't know who this Blaine guy is, but apparently he's sex on a stick and sings like a dream. So. Sucks that I missed him." Sebastians smile grew bigger as Blaine chuckled and blushed. "Alright. Since I'm working to recreate your meteoric ascent, I need to ask - why did you leave Dalton? Were you bored with all the preppies around here? Or is it that you broke too many hearts to stay?"

Blaine sighed and smiled, in deep thought, "Uh, it wasn't like that. Let's just say that I miss Dalton every day. But McKinley is where my heart is now." Sebastian nodded, not taking the hint he was talking about a boyfriend.

"I have to go. Lacrosse practice. But could we meet again? I could really use some more insights from you, Blaine. You know - Warbler to Warbler." He said as he glanced down at his watch then back at the cute boy. Blaine gave a quick Okay and watched as Sebastian left the room. As clueless as to the fact Blaine had a boyfriend, Blaine was clueless as to Sebastian's flirting.

Sebastian spent the next two hours running around the lacrosse field, pushing himself to get better, he had made it onto the team, but in his mind he couldn't slack off cause there was always someone better. He among other guys had pulled their shirts off and finished their workout regime like that. At the end of their practice they had practiced shooting on net. He didn't notice that a few Warblers had made their way into the stands and were watching his intense workout. He wasn't ashamed of his body like he used to be at Central City, over the summer he spent so much time working out rigorously trying to get in shape. The end result as well as the continuous results of multiple practices a week were a nice set of muscles on his arms, legs and stomach.

Though he couldn't see his friends he noticed some girls from Crawford watching on the sidelines and did something he never would've done as Barry, he winked at them with a big smirk on his face, causing them to giggle. His once gelled hair had gotten messy from his sweaty workout and it now was hanging down beside his face. He was lined up to take a shot on net, right behind another player. When it was his turn he used his stick to scoop up the ball and into the net of his stick. He took a running start and once he was at the line they were told to shoot from he whipped it behind his head then back at the net. His muscles rippled as he watched the ball fly through the air and between the goal post and the goalies net, just making it in.

He turned around surprised when he heard the cheers of the singers, all laughing at his expression. After another five minutes the practice was called to an end and Sebastian pulled on his shirt as he walked towards the locker room. Though as he did he could hear the boos and shouts of the warblers who demanded he 'take it off'. He just smiled and shook his head before walking into the school. He took a quick shower in the locker room before styling his hair and putting his uniform back on just like the rest of the team. 

When he walked out of the change room he was instantly bombarded with the Warblers, Nick, Jeff and Thad as they pushed him around their little circle in a playful manner. "You're cut man." Nick told him and slammed his hand against his abs. Sebastian just laughed as they ruffled his hair, which he immediately fixed. They walked through Dalton, joking around and talking since they no longer had any responsibilities for the rest of the day. Sebastian had planned on going back to his room to study but found himself having a grand time with the Warblers. He could spot his teachers staring at him as he wrestled around the halls with his friends, never having seen this side of the nerdy athlete who kept to himself.

The only thing that stopped their Tom foolery was when Sebastian's phone started ringing. He pulled it out and his face instantly changed to a different kind of happy, the kind where you could see he was in love, and that reason was the name Iris blinked away on his screen. The Warblers were still laughing behind him as he answered the call, his smile growing to see the face of the girl he hadn't spoken to in a while. "Hey Bear." She smiled through the phone as he did his best to hide the scene behind him as well as the uniform, because she and Joe didn't know that Dalton was a boarding school.

"Hey, Iris." He breathed out with a wide mouthed grin. "What's up?"

"I miss my best friend that's what's up." She said as she laid down on her bed in the West household. "I wish Christmas break would get here already I want to see you in person, it's been two months." Sebastian noticed it had gotten quiet behind him and turned to see Thad, Nick and Jeff watching with interest as to who he was talking to. 

"Hey hold on." He and moved his phone onto his chest to block her from view. 

"Who's that?" Thad asked.

"Nobody." He said and moved away as Nick took a grab for his phone. "I said no one." He laughed as he dodged their attempts before turning and taking off running for the dorms as his friends ran after him. He held the phone as he pumped his arms, Iris was getting a good view of the floor as he sprinted through the halls. He let out breathy laughs until he collided with his Physics teacher, who didn't like him all that much.

"Mr. Smythe, do stop running." He ordered Sebastian who responded with a curt 'yes sir'. "We don't need to sliding and cracking your head open on school grounds." Another 'yes sir'. "And tell your friends the same." And he repeated himself again. Thad, Jeff and Nick were standing down at the end of the hall, all intimidated by the teacher who struck fear in most students. Sebastian waited until the teacher walked past him and out of view before running again, getting a head start from the others as he ran to the dorm. 

He dropped the phone on the bed and ran to his closet, yanking his blazer off as well as his tie. He chucked them in a pile at the bottom of the closet and grabbed a red sweater from a ranger, pulling it over his shirt and hair, not wanting her to see how much he changed. Once he had hidden all sign of prep school from his clothes he picked up the phone and held it up. "Hey sorry about that my friends are a bit crazy." He said and walked into the bathroom, closing and locking the behind him, just as he heard the voices of his friends in the room. He held a finger to his lips and kept the light off until they left. 

"Hey are you still at school right now?" Iris asked, the only thing she could see was Barry's hoodie covered head and the white door behind him. "I heard that man say school. It's like seven o'clock there, why are you still there?"

"Oh the school does this thing during the first month back. All the students camp out here." He said lying out of his ass. Though Iris bought it when he told her. They spoke for a while before Joe West's face came into the picture beside hers as he sat on her bed. "Hey Joe." He smiled and gave a small wave.

"Hey how's Ohio, you enjoying living with Alan?" Joe asked and Sebastian nodded with a smile.

"Hell of a guy, I miss Central though." He admitted.

"Barry it's okay if you want to come back, we can home school you if you want." Joe told the boy he considered a son. He watched him shake his hair slightly.

"I'm good Joe, as much as I miss you I think Westerville and Dalton has been good for me." Sebastian told his foster father. "The people here are great." His mind went to his friends then to that cute kid Blaine. The thought made his face soften into a tired smile. He sat in the bathroom and talked for a while, eventually they went over his name change that Alan demanded, Joe agreed while heartedly and said that Henry Allen would understand, especially since he told Barry to change his name after he was arrested. Iris had reacted by having the conclusion that's why he didn't want her to talk to his friends, not because he was at a boarding school. 

Their conversation was interrupted when his friend burst into the bedroom and ran to the bathroom door, knocking on it and telling him to come out. He instantly started laughing while Joe and Iris looked concerned, thinking someone was trying to bully him again. "My friends!" He called over the noise. "I've got to go, there's lots of fun stuff going on tonight." He said as Thad opened the door with his key just in time for Sebastian to end the call and for Joe to catch a glimpse of the Dalton Blazer. Iris thought nothing of it, but Joe's spidey senses were tingling.


	7. Gay Bars and Hangovers

In his second week at Dalton he had been dragged to West Lima to a gay clubs by his friends, Wes and Thad. He was confused as to why they brought him, but he decided to enjoy him in spite of the confusion. He even danced with this guy who was three inches taller than him at 6'5 and who's body was twice the size of his even with all his muscle. He couldn't even remember asking for his name, he didn't care in all honesty.

When he and Blaine texted in the next few days they had agreed to meet up after school at Lima Bean, a coffee shop that high school kids hung out at according to Blaine. They had walked in, Sebastian still dressed in his uniform since he came from Dalton right as class ended. "I can't believe you asked for courvoisier in your coffee." Blaine said as they walked to their table in the middle of the cafe.

"Forgot how lame this town is. When I lived in Paris, I drank it like it was mother's milk." Sebastian smiled thinking about how much he and his friends drank that summer.

"When you lived in- Okay, wow." Blaine fumbled his words as he looked at the smirking boy.

"What?" Sebastian asked as he sipped his coffee.

"You're just so- you know, you're out there." Blaine told him while shaking his head slightly. Sebastian knew that he really wasn't, only that his family was. He himself was just some kid from Central, but he might as well have fun with it while he could.

So Sebastian decided to flirt, he knew as soon as he saw Iris he would forget about whoever he flirted with because he was in love with her, but hey everyone at Dalton thought he was gay, he might as well roll with it. "And your whole, bashful schoolboy thing? Super hot." He said with a suggestive look.

"Look Sebastian I have a boyfriend." Blaine warned.

Sebastian didn't seem to care, really letting go of Barry Allen and becoming Sebastian Smythe in that moment. "Doesn't bother me if it doesn't bother you."

"No, I mean, I really care about him." Blaine argued flattered but not caring for Sebastian's advances.

"He doesn't need to know." Sebastian said trying to entice him.

"I just never want to mess my thing up with him, in any way. He's really great." Blaine explained as Sebastian watched a tall male saunter over to the table. He was feeling slightly defeated about Blaine's response, the cute boy wasn't going for a bait.

"Who's really great?" The older teen came up startling Blaine.

"You!" He nearly shouted making Sebastian smirk. This in his mind was the competition, but it was just Blaine's boyfriend. He instantly started comparing himself to the teen. Sebastian's voice was deeper, he was much taller, though both looked skinny under their clothes, so for all he knew Blaine's boyfriend was hiding a secret set of abs. "We were just talking about you. Sebastian, this is Kurt, my boyfriend, who I was just-"

Sebastian mumbled an "I got it" before looking at the boyfriend who had grabbed a chair. Blaine was muttering as Kurt looped his arm with him, giving a look of claim to Sebastian who just smirked. "And how do we know Sebastian?"

"We met at Dalton. I was dying to meet Blaine. Those Warblers just won't shut up about him. Didn't think he could live up to the hype, but as it turns out..." Sebastian responded before Blaine could.

Kurt just shuffled closer to his boyfriend. "Yes, he's even more impressive in the flesh."

Sebastian looked between them, smirking as Blaine seemed oblivious to Kurt's possessiveness. Blaine just continued to stare at his new friend from Dalton, unaware of the tension. Sebastian wanted to get together with Blaine and he figured Kurt could come, and neither seemed 'out-there' as Blaine put it. His mind wandered to that night at the bar, he didn't care for it much but Wes and Thad enjoyed themselves, even Wes despite his claim of heterosexuality. "Hey what are you guys doing tomorrow night?"

"Well we are rehearsing for the school musical. And then at bed time we do a rigorous skin-sloughing regimen over the phone together." Kurt informed Sebastian in a light tone that was laced with menace.

"As sexy as that sounds," he started with raised eyebrows, "what do you say we shake things up? I get you guys a couple of fake IDs and we head over to Scandals in West Lima." He offered, he hadn't had a proper drink in a while, especially since he stayed sober for his friends last time. This time he hoped not to.

"Scandals, That's the gay bar?" Blaine wondered if he had heard Sebastian right.

Sebastian just smiled and looked at the couple who seemed to be treading lightly. "Last time I was there, I met the man of my dreams on the dance floor." He informed them.

Kurt looked as if some of the competition had been taken off. "That's so sweet, are you two still together?"

Sebastian chuckled at his question. "Sadly, No, we broke up about twenty minutes after we met. Come on guys live." He could see the debate in both their eyes, Blaine had begun to refuse but to his surprise Kurt was the one to accept his offer. Sebastian's amusement only increased when they seemed to disagree. Though only seconds later they seemed to be at an accord. After a while Sebastian had departed the coffee shop with their agreement to go to the bar.

He had procured fake IDs that night from a guy at Dalton who sold them cheaply. His night had been uneventful, spent texting Iris as well as a small Warbler practice for sectionals which was drawing ever closer. He was nervous for it, seeing as he was just some nerdy kid who never did anything remotely like performing before he went to Dalton. The next night he vaguely remembered the bar, he had gone and tormented Kurt a bit, he knew he danced with Blaine until Kurt got jealous. He thought that had been fun.

His drunk mind that night could recall leaving when Kurt and Blaine did, not caring to be alone in the middle of the bar. Thad had helped him to his bed when he stumbled in through the second floor window. If he was sober he would've told his drunk self not to do it, but that was way past changing after he had up the vines by his window and rapped his knuckles on the glass. Thad knew why he didn't come through the door, and that was cause he didn't want to get caught by teachers, out after curfew, drunk off his ass. When Thad opened the window he heaved his leg inside and slid through the open window.

When he had awoken it was by Thad, Jeff and Nick shouting at the top of their lungs. He wasn't prepared for the abrupt awakening so when they did that he fell off his bed into a heap on the carpeted floor. They all laughed as he groaned in pain in his hungover state. "What day is it?" He moaned out.

"It's Saturday buddy." Nick told him making his eyes snap open.

They all jumped as he launched himself off he floor and towards his closet, ignoring his pounding head. The teen grabbed a button up shirt and some jeans, pulling them on while running to the bathroom. The three boys looked at each other and frowned as Sebastian ran out of the bathroom with a toothbrush hanging from his mouth. The teen grabbed his shoes and hopped on one foot, pulling one onto his other foot while brushing his teeth. A minute later he emerged while brushing his hair back into its place, while turning on the spot until he found his black jacket.

He pulled it on and was about to go out the door when he was stopped. "Dude, whats wrong?"

"I was supposed to go home last night, my dads gonna be pissed." He said and pushed past them. They all peered out of the room at he ran down the hall of the dorm and disappeared down the stairs.

"Is anyone going to tell him he forgot his phone?" Nick asked as he picked it up. They all shrugged and walked back into their room as Nick turned it on. The background was the image of Sebastian leaning on a table with his head on his arms, smiling at the camera while a pretty girl, with dark skin and black hair smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "I would say girlfriend, but isn't he gay?" Nick asked and showed Thad and Jeff.

"Should you really be snooping?" Jeff asked.

"It's not really snooping, I'm just looking at his screen." Nick told them but the phone buzzed in his hand to show a message from an Iris, "Okay now I'm snooping. Who's Iris with two hearts?" The other two couldn't help their curiosity and walked over and look at the phone over his shoulder. "Hey, you need to call my dad, he won't tell me why but he is stressed about you." He read the text aloud to his buddies, they all glanced at each other confused. The phone buzzed again. "This is serious, he is considering flying out to Ohio just to see you. He thinks you going to Westerville is a terrible idea."

Thad scratched his head confused now. "A friend from Paris? I mean he used to live there." Suddenly the phone started ringing and the picture of the girl that was on his lock screen appeared. They all muttered a few curse words before answering the phone and putting it on speaker. "Hello, this is Sebastian's friend Nick, he forgot his phone."

"When he gets it back can you tell him to call Joe. It's an emergency." The boys shared a glance before giving her a yes and hanging up.


	8. Weekend at Alan’s

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> went AWOL, back now, I was without wifi for two and a half weeks so I couldn’t update

Sebastian had spent many hours locked in his room at Alan's house. He had been grateful when Richard had told him that Alan had spent the night in a few states over and wouldn't be home till mid day on Sunday. That gave Sebastian time to chug some water and painkillers to deal with his pounding headache. Sebastian was not prepared to deal with Alan and a hangover, especially if Shelley was here and making noise in her typical, 14 year old, video games obsessed, music blasting, soccer playing ways. He loved Shelley, but she was loud to say the least. She was usually there on the weekends like him because she attended Crawford Academy for girls, in her first year of school, though nobody would be able to tell they are related since she goes by her mothers maiden name and looks nothing like Sebastian. She and Sebastian ended up in her room playing video games for a few hours after his headache calmed down where she, safe to say, handed his ass to him on a silver platter. Though when she left to hang out at a friends house he felt his headache come back on for now all he could do was stress about Alan finding out about his hangover. He spent a lot of time in the shower after that, only to be interrupted by Richard knocking on his door and announcing he made him some brunch. Richard had watched him stuff his face with food and water, soon realizing he had a hangover. The worker thought it best to help the teen before his uncle got home, and took his shirt to be ironed, knowing he needed to look his best.  Sebastian finished his food and washed his dishes before drying and putting them in their appropriate cupboards, just in time for Richard to come back with his ironed light blue button up. He pulled it back on and did it up, just in time for the front door to open and for Alan to step inside. "A good you're here. Richard put my bags away, Sebastian, follow me." Sebastian glanced at Richard before standing up straight and walking up the stairs behind Alan. When at the top of the stairs Alan turned to him and spoke. "What have you been saying to Joe West and his daughter?" "Nothing, I'm not sure what you mean?" He said as Alan grabbed his arm.  "I've been receiving endless calls from the detective about you, concerned for your wellbeing. So you're going to call them and tell them everything is fine." Alan demanded. "When you go back to Dalton I expect you to act like you're supposed to not how that foolish man taught you. Understood?" "No I don't understand, what do-" he started but was cut off when Alan pushed him, releasing his arm as Sebastian fell backwards down the hard stairs. He grunted as he rolled down the stairs, flying off the last step and landing on his previously broken wrist, effectively bending it out of place. "I'd call them soon." Alan demanded. Sebastian groaned in pain as he rolled onto his knees, clutching his wrist. He glared up at his uncle before forcing himself into his feet. His uncle just glowered and pulled out a phone, pressing buttons until Sebastian could hear ringing. "Joe West." He heard his foster fathers voice echo. "Hi Joe, it's Alan, Barry just got home from a friends house would you like to speak with him?" Alan asked as he walked down the stairs towards the glowering teen. "He's right here." "Hey Bear, is everything okay?" Joe asked concerned for his son. "Yeah I'm fine Joe, everything's been going great here." Sebastian lied, using a fake voice as he stared down at his uncle. "School has been amazing. I've made some great friends, like Nick who is in my English class, just got back from his place." "Alright if you need anything, call, I can't wait to see you at Christmas." Joe said making Sebastian smile sadly. "Don't be a stranger, you're still my kid, call whenever." Sebastian gave a quick goodbye right before Alan ended the call. "See that wasn't so hard." He said and walked away, leaving Sebastian to fall back to his knees and cradle his wrist. After maybe twenty minutes he managed to get up and stumble to his room where he began to wrap up his arm in a tenser bandage. He had done this before, given how he had dealt with bullies in Central. But that night he didn't sleep very well at all. His back hurt from the bruises he got when he fell and he had a cut on his forehead where he hit a step. In the morning only an hour after he fell asleep he was awoken by Richard, shaking his shoulder. "Mr. Smythe are you alright?" "Yeah, why you ask Jeeves?" Sebastian joked. "It's already ten in the morning." Richard rolled his eyes as Sebastian shuffled out of the large but stiff bed. He had fallen asleep in his button up from the day before, only changing into some lacrosse shorts instead of jeans. He looked rather odd with his messed up hair and wrinkled shirt, while also wearing red shorts. "Breakfast is ready, I suggest you get dressed." Sebastian just stumbled into the bathroom and showered for ten minutes, the hot water relaxing his tense muscles. When he got out he was surprised to see folded clothes awaiting him on his bed. He shrugged and pulled on the jeans and black button up before walking out of his room at a slow pace. As soon as he exited he ran into a wall, still a little disoriented from the day before. He groaned as he rubbed his head, staring at the wall in front of him accusingly. He slinked down the hall and into the kitchen where Richard was waiting with breakfast. The two are in silence before Alan came in and grabbed Sebastian by his ear, pulling him away from the kitchen and into his study. Where he gave him 'lessons' on how to act like a Smythe. This went on for hours, not ever hitting him hard enough to leave a mark, any more that is. He didn't want anyone finding out what really happened behind closed doors. Neither did Sebastian, he felt at home at Dalton and he needed Alan to pay for the tuition so he was willing to suffer every once in a while. Of course that night he left the house, narrowly escaping a glass that was thrown at him. He ran out of the neighbourhood and all the way back to Dalton, not looking back once. He made it back quickly, just as Thad walked outside the school in his normal clothes to go out for the night. "Sebastian, what happened?" Thad asked in shock as Sebastian skidded into their dorm room. "Huh, what?" Sebastian asked. "Your forehead is bleeding, and your bruised." Thad searched the teen for anymore marks besides the visible ones but Sebastian pushed him away. "I fell down some stairs, I'm fine. I just ran up here to stop the bleeding." Sebastian said and pushed his way into the bathroom, leaving Thad looking dejected. Not believing that he was truly okay, or that he really fell down the stairs, but he had no proof so he didn't say anything, only followed Sebastian and helped him clean up his forehead and got him some ice packs from the nurses office. Sebastian groaned as he laid down on the bed and Thad laid the packs on his back. Thad watched as Sebastian fell asleep with the packs on his back, the teen seemed unconcerned with his own injuries and gave no indication that he was being hurt by someone, so Thad assumed he was telling the truth.


	9. Unexpected Visits

It had been a long run back to Dalton. Sebastian had gone to his dorms and immediately collapsed on the bed. He spent that day and night sleeping off his wounds. They were better already, most his bruises faded within the night, they hadn't been that bad. In hindsight the worst was on his back where he hit the stairs and the cut on his forehead. The next day he was stiff, but didn't let that stop him as he went to classes and then Warbler practice.

His bruises healed up much better during the week only the worst remained, which his team questioned but he told them he accidentally fell down the stairs. He had been messaging Blaine a lot, taking a real liking to the guy but their conversations that week had been limited. The next Monday he had gone to Lacrosse practice feeling very stiff after dancing around with the Warblers.

They weren't even doing any lacrosse that day, the coach mandated it was a fitness week so they could be ready for the intense training he had planned to prepare for the season with. He had spent the first half hour with the other guys running laps and doing suicide runs. It had been hard on his muscles and it strained him, but it felt worth it. They had set up a whole obstacle course on the field, it seemed hard core but Sebastian just went along with it. Halfway through the practice Sebastian had pulled his shirt off as did many other guys who were beginning to feel the heat. They had practiced using the rope ladder on footwork as well as a pylon course they had to run.

When they finally picked up lacrosse sticks he could barely move his arms, so when they took shots from increasing distance it had become extremely hard on his muscles. When at the highest record line he had lined himself and took the shot, grunting as he maneuvered the stick. He let out a puff of air as the ball went into the net. His teammates patted him on the back because nobody else had made that shot yet. He put his hands on his knees and let out some heavy breath, his back hurting very much now.

Though nothing prepared him for when he heard cheering from the stands just like from his friends, except this time when he looked he saw Joe and Iris, condemning him to fall to the ground in surprise, causing mud to splash all over himself. A few of his teammates laughed as he stared at the bleachers, flabbergasted by the appearance of his best friend. He glanced down and saw how he was shirtless, now extremely shy he ran over to where he dropped his shirt and pulled it over his mud covered, sweat ridden body.

The coach didn't seem to care as he dropped his stuff on one of the benches and ran up to the bleachers. He had could see his friends in the stands, staring at him with strange looks as he ran up the stands to the top were the two unknown people sat. Once there he launched himself into the arms of Joe and Iris, happy to see them in person. He was so happy, yet so concerned about how they realized he was at boarding school. After a few moments he released them and the family began climbing down the steps of the bleachers, immersed in a deep conversation.

"Bartholomew Henry Allen." Joe said in a low tone so nobody could hear. They had stopped at the bottom of the stands, Sebastian's face immediately tended when the full name came out. "Why didn't you tell us you were going to a boarding school?"

"Because I knew you'd freak and tell me to come home, I know Alan said he would keep an eye on me, and he has, but being without someone always watching me has been nice." Sebastian told Joe with a voice that asked to stay.

He nodded but when he saw his head where the cut was and the bruises that lines his arms he grew angry. "And what is this?" Joe demanded grabbing hold of the teens surprisingly muscular arm.

"Joe relax, nobody has touched me here. I was home at Alan's this weekend, I ran right into Richard, and fell down the stairs, it was an accident." He lied smoothly. Joe relaxed and seemed to by it, before allowing Sebastian to guide them away from the school and to the coffee shop in Lima. He had changed out of his workout clothes and into some jeans and a t-shirt before they'd gone out. The three caught up over coffee, while Iris questioned him about how boarding school was. She had asked if any guys made advances on him, which caused him to laugh and point out not everyone at an all boys school is gay.

That night when they parted ways, Iris and Joe to the hotel and Sebastian to Dalton it was hard to say goodbye. Though it didn't last that long seeing as they saw each other the next day but not before Thad bombarded him with questions that night about who 'the super hot chick' was. Sebastian had ignored him and went on to study for his tests that he wouldn't be able to study the next day because Sectionals was coming up.

The next day was hard to convince Joe and Iris that he couldn't hang out after five o'clock was hard. He didn't want them to know about his singing, he found it embarrassing. Mainly because they'd never heard him sing. He had convinced them while they ate an early dinner together that he needed to finish a massive project for the next day and he had procrastinated. Though that obviously wasn't true, they took his word for it.

He had competed in Sectionals, looking pristine in his uniform which he had spent hours cleaning off to the finest detail the night before. He had been surprised the week before when they announced that Uptown Girl was their opener song for Sectionals but he didn't complain, the other song was much quicker paced and he enjoyed the feeling of dancing around and helping with the back up vocals on stage. When they announced that Dalton Academy won they all cheered and accepted their win with enthusiasm.

His mood was through the roof that night when he and the Warblers had taken their party to Scandals with their fake ID's in hand. Sebastian knew not to get drunk, for he didn't want to be hungover when he hung out with Joe and Iris. That didn't stop him from having two beers and dancing on the dance floor. He had danced in between two guys smirking as they all moved together. He knew one was a Warbler the other could've been anyone. He just knew whoever it was clearly enjoyed his company the way they danced with him.


End file.
